Temple to Iris and Osiris unearthed near the Bulgarian Black Sea

Archaeologists have uncovered what is thought to be the remains of a temple complex dedicated to Isis and Osiris in the Paleokastro area, near Pomorie on the Bulgarian Black Sea. Burgasinfo.com reported on October 15 2008 that the temple has been dated to the middle of the second century CE, though it was built itself on the remains of a sanctuary from the Thracian era.

The Thracians were an Indo-European tribe that occupied the lands of present-day Bulgaria, northern Greece, part of the Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, eastern Serbia and north-west Turkey from about 2000 BCE to about the sixth century CE.

Head archaeologist of the team Sergei Torbanov said, as reported by Burgasinfo.net, that there were many monuments connected to the two Ancient Egyptian gods in Bulgaria, but that the temple complex was the first such to be found in an archaeological dig.

According to burgas.dir.bg, Torbanov also said that until the discovery of the temple plot, the only evidence of worship of Isis and Osiris to have been found on Bulgarian territory had been in written form.

Along with the remains of the building, ceramic vessels, lamps and coins were found on the 200 sq m site.

Streets of the ancient city of Anhialo, today's Pomorie, were also recently uncovered in archaeological research.

The archaeologists were reported to have said that temple was built during the era of Emperor Antoninus Pius (r 138/161), around the time of the founding of Anhialo.

Items found at the dig site are to be displayed at the Pomorie city museum.